Spondylitis Association of America Forums General Discussion General Message Board for Ankylosing Spondylitis and Related Diseases High Risk For H1N1 Vaccine

Are those with AS considered in the “high risk” group to receive the early H1N1 vaccine? I see RA is listed…

It depends on your medications. If you are on medications that suppress your immune system you are probably on the shortlist. Your best bet, though, is to contact your local vaccination authority (public health dept. probably) and find out their criteria.

AS is an autoimmune disorder as well and that puts you on the list as well I believe at least thats what my rhemy told me.

Being in the UK things may be a bit different here but I have always received flu vaccines because of the AS, and then later, because of the immune suppressing meds. I had my regular flu jab last month and have my swine flu jab on friday and maybe a 2nd dose 3 weeks later.

Warm Regards
Oliver

I called my clinic today and NO i am not eligable yet to get the vaccine. there are other priority cases first.
- Pregnant women
- Health care workers & emergency services workers
- School teachers & professional childcare providers
- All patients ages 6 months to 24 years
- People ages 25 to 64 years old with medical conditions, such as diabetes, asthma or heart disease
- Caregivers of infants younger than 6 months

BUT NOT ME ON IMMUNOSUPPRESSANTS........
But they said they would talk to DR to see if I should get it and they would call me back, but T-Mobile is having server problems so im not getting incomming calls so dont know if they called. Its frustrating. Im a student in the medical field but NO i cant get it. I think more is comming next week tho.

GAH. Thats crazy NW. Its short-sighted thinking like that which really gets my goat. My doctors always gave me the jab because of my AS even before I started on immune suppressants (technically i dont think sulphasalazine is considered an immune suppresant).

If they dont call back in the next week then I would call them and chase it up again.

Warm Regards
Oliver

Hi, Thats crazy they said your not high risk. my girls got swine flu and the dr's here put me on Tamiflu before it was even confirmed they had it just to protect me.. Nothing to help my girls though but all attention was turned to me because of my health.. you need to make them listen or go somewhere that will..

NW...You are absolutely considered part of the high risk group having AS alone. As Sammi said, having an autoimmune disease alone puts us in the high risk category and every Dr I have talked to here (I live in Puyallup) including my Dr., Rheumy in Tacoma, the Washington State Dept. of Health, and the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Dept., and the CDC all consider autoimmune diseases, regardless of medications (but if you are on a immune suppressant medication, that makes it even more important) part of the high risk category of 25-64 year olds with chronic medical conditions. AS is a chronic medical condition. The CDC even lists inflammatory arthritis diseases including spondyloarthropathies as high risk on their website check it out. I found out about a high risk clinic in Puyallup from my Dr and went there last week and stood in line for 2 hours (not easy with the pain and using a cane) and I know you guys all understand that, and I had no problem getting my shot. They asked why I was considered high risk and I told them about my disease (and meds- I'm on Humira) and I filled out papers and they didn't question it. I had even printed out the CDC's info. about inflammatory arthritis diseases in case they did question why I should be condisered high risk. I don't understand why your Dr. says you are not. That is incorrect. Good luck!

Kris

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/arthritis.htm

This is the link on the CDC I was talking about.

Kris

every distribitor is allowed to make thier own choices. Im hi risk but in the second tier so to speak.
But good news they talked to my doctor who said because of my immune status i should be getting it. She has been helping me battle infections in lymph/throat/sinus since july so she realises my inability to fight off bad things. so Yeah for her. But they didnt know if they had any to give me, but more was due to come in. They put me on a waiting list. Couple hrs later they called and said another batch had come in and next available appointment was fri nov 13.... I didnt think much of it thinking it was this friday but no its next friday. But my doctors nurse called to see if it was set up and i told her ya for next week and she looked at her own schedule and so now I have an appt TOMORROW to get it. YEAH......